Rugby man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 6-year-old gets further sentence for making indecent images of children

Reporter

A Rugby man jailed for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl has now been sentenced for making thousands of indecent images of children.

Arnold David Baxter, 74, was given a nine-year sentence in February 2017 for abducting a six-year-old girl in Barton-under-Needwood in March, 2001.

A DNA hit following a drink-driving offence (15 years after the kidnap took place) led to Baxter’s arrest at his home address in Rugby, where officers from Staffordshire Police seized devices capable of storing digital media.

These devices were forensically examined, following the search of Baxter’s address on October 6 2016, and indecent images of children were found on 11 of the devices, with almost 700 images in the most serious category (category A). In total, 6,582 images were found.

The offence refers to altering existing digital or film images to render them indecent.

The court was told officers had taken away three van-loads of material to be examined, including VHS cassettes, publications and the electronic devices.

Baxter, who is also known as David, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent or pseudo images of children at Leamington Magistrates’ Court on August 15.

He was sentenced yesterday (Nov 6) to a further 12 months in prison for the category A offence, which will be served in addition to his nine-year sentence.

He received further 4-month (category B images) and 3-month sentences (category C images) to be served concurrently.

Sentencing at Warwick Crown Court, judge Andrew Lockhart also made Baxter the subject of a sexual offences prevention order and a destruction order was issued for his equipment.

Detective inspector Victoria Downing, of Staffordshire Police’s Major and Organised Crime Department, said: “Baxter’s crime left the local community, and the victim’s parents, in a complete state of shock.

"It took many years for him to be brought before the courts and it has taken more time to forensically examine files retrieved from his home address. We are glad he has now been sentenced and remains in prison for an extended period.”